CBS13’s Shirin Rajaee spoke with Ethel’s owner Kacey Kuchiniski two weeks ago who said the tortoise is “a spot of sunshine in our life, part of our routine, part of everything we did, so losing that feels very much like losing a loved one.”

Kuchinski and her husband searched everywhere for Ethel: under bushes, in corners, in neighbors homes, they even put up hundreds of flyers.

But Ethel’s stardom kept the hope alive. She’s stealing hearts online with more than 6,500 followers on Instagram. Her photos on her social media page show her in costumes, on hikes, eating pumpkins. She’s a very curious tortoise.